For Giants' Lawrence Tynes, winning field goal against 49ers is a dream come true

View full sizeAndrerw Mills/The Star-LedgerGiants holder Steve Weatherford (left) and kicker Lawrence Tynes watches Tynes' game-winning field goal sail through the uprights against the San Francisco 49ers tonight in the NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park.

Usually, a picture of calm, even before his kick at frozen Lambeau Field four years ago, Tynes was a bit more animated before this 31-yarder, and this game as a whole, frankly.

It was that kind of lead-up on a wet, windy day here at Candlestick Park.

“I was a little more full of anxiety today for some reason. I’m not usually that nervous before a game,” Tynes said. “I think a lot of it had to do with the conditions. I don’t know why.

“Who knows why I dreamed last night I would kick a game-winner? I don’t know.”

Tynes did dream it, and that’s why he wanted that chance. As much as a touchdown would’ve made things easier for the Giants after Devin Thomas covered a fumble to give the Giants the ball at the 49ers’ 24-yard line, Tynes was hoping for a field-goal attempt.

It was originally a 26-yarder, but it was pushed back another 5 yards by a delay-of-game penalty. 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh then tried to ice him with a timeout, but he didn’t even kick the ball, so he clearly heard the whistle very early.

Finally, with the wind playing tricks at that moment, he decided to stick by the reads he had made earlier when he made a 53-yarder in pre game.

The snap was a bit low but Steve Weatherford scooped it and put it down, unlike eight years ago when Trey Junkin skipped one along the grass and holder Matt Allen chucked a desperation pass that fell incomplete.

“We exorcised some demons from the Giants from the 2002 postseason game, so I’ll be happy to call Matt because he’s a good friend of mine and he was involved in that play,” Tynes said. “Me and Matt played college ball together, I thought about him today before we played so, you know, we exorcised some demons tonight so that was cool.”

When asked about an extension for coach Tom Coughlin, Giants CEO John Mara said there would be time for that after the Super Bowl.

“We’ll talk about that at the end of the season,” Mara said.

Mara was also asked if he thought Coughlin might make this his last season.

“I don’t think so,” Mara said. “I think he’s having too much fun.”

Every time a comparison has been made between the current Giants team and the ’07 squad, LT David Diehl has been among the staunch opponents of such talk.

Until tonight when he stood in the visitors’ locker room and realized Tynes had just kicked them to the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Again.

“Talk about crazy,” a smiling Diehl said. “You think about it, everybody kept saying ’07 comparisons and all of us kept saying this is a different year and a different season and it’s unbelievable how it’s played out just like that.”

Former Giants OL Rich Seubert, who now lives in California, was an honorary captain along with retired DE Michael Strahan and TE Mark Bavaro.

Safety Tyler Sash left the game with a concussion as a result of a hit near the sideline that didn’t please the Giants.